Of Dark Matter
by you-noia
Summary: There's a new threat on the horizon and not even Team Flash working with Team Arrow will be able to defeat it. Can three meta-humans, living completely normal lives, be the key to saving the world? Or will they end up aiding in the destruction of all things good on their earth?
1. Chapter 1: Genesis

**Note:** This story takes place after season 3 of The Flash and season 5 of Arrow. Please read at your own risk and remember that you've been warned! :) Further explanation will be down below at the end of the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 1: Genesis

Sixty-three degrees was an average but comfortable temperature in Central City. The sky was a few shades short of that perfect blue due to the grayish clouds crawling over the city, but the afternoon daylight still fought its way through. It was a decent compromise between harsh sunlight and gloomy darkness, but if Madison could have it her way, there'd be a little more vitamin D in her life. It would definitely lift her spirits and make the world seem a little less…

"Shitty."

Huffing a sigh, the young woman shook her head and kept scrolling through her phone, looking for a more positive headline. Reading about corrupted politics and the latest inhumane acts put her in a sour mood, resulting in time spent uttering curse words and muttering about how terrible people could be. Some would say that she was purposely exposing herself to awful things as some masochistic form of finding an excuse to be negative and bitter… but really, Madison was looking for ways to remind herself that not everything was sunshine and rainbows.

So, yeah. They'd pretty much be right.

The sound of water splashing made her glance up from her place in the patio chair. Her sister Stephanie was coming up for air in the pool. After taking a moment to remove the swim goggles, she swam her way over to the edge and held onto the small ladder. "So… how'd I do?"

Madison glanced at the timer on her phone and rose her eyebrows, impressed. "Thirty-eight minutes! That's twelve more minutes than last time."

Stephanie's eyes lit up and a grin crossed her face. "Seriously? Thirty-eight minutes? Dude!"

As she proceeded to climb out of the pool, she continued, "That's so fucking cool! Thirty-eight minutes!" She grabbed her towel from the other chair and Madison sat back to look at her.

"So did you come up because you were starting to not be able to breathe anymore?"

Her sister gave a look of uncertainty, rubbing the towel over her dark red hair. "Kind of, not really. I mean, my chest was starting to feel a little uncomfortable but…" She gave a shrug. "I mostly came up just 'cause I was bored."

The two women laughed and Madison shook her head. "Well, I can see why. Like, what are you supposed to do for almost forty minutes underwater? Read a book?"

"I'm lucky I love water," Stephanie said, sitting down and looking over at the pool. "Because then I don't mind just swimming around and having fun in it. I can't imagine what it'd be like if I couldn't swim or hated water..." She shuddered at the thought.

"I don't know..." Madison mused. Waving a hand towards her sister, she added, "I think the fact that you have abilities at all would've made you excited."

That's what it had been like for her, at least. When she'd found out what she was capable of doing, the emotions had been a whirlwind of disbelief, terror, and excitement… and she had felt that way for weeks. Every night was spent wondering about the possibilities (good and bad) and every morning she was reminded that normal was not a thing for her anymore. Luckily, she had Stephanie, who'd also discovered her strange affinity to the element of water just days before Madison's experience.

It had been very rocky at first with a lot of unanswered questions and fights about what they should or shouldn't do. Were they going to keep quiet or find someone to help? Would they bother figuring out how to live with it and use their powers or were they going to pretend it never happened? Deep down, the sisters knew that these unusual things they could do had to be a result of the particle accelerator incident… the one that had caused enough trouble to affect the future of Central City forever.

Though it took a lot of time and patience, the two of them struggled with their newfound abilities together, learning to control them and eventually figuring out the extents to which they could reach. No one else in their lives knew that they had been affected… and they wanted to keep it that way. Neither woman wanted to be seen as one of the meta-humans that used their abilities to do wrong. If anything, they were itching to be able to do something right.

"True," Stephanie affirmed, snapping Madison from her thoughts. "As long as I wasn't mutating or doing some weird shit… then yeah, I could've been happy with something else."

Madison snorted but knew that she agreed with her sister. A few of the metas that they'd seen on the news definitely had some skin-crawling abilities and she had to thank her lucky stars that the two of them hadn't woken up with one. If that had been the case, then she definitely would've wanted to find a way to lose her powers.

"Alright, well, I don't know about you, but breathing underwater for thirty-eight minutes made me super hungry." Stephanie stood up and stretched, letting out a yawn.

"All I did was sit here for that long and it made me hungry," Madison responded with an eye roll, earning a laugh from her. "But I'm down for pizza if you are."

"Always."

* * *

An hour and a half later, there was a single slice of bacon and pepperoni pizza sitting between them, waiting to be devoured. But the two were stuffed and had absolutely no room left for another bite. This was what happened when they visited one of their favorite restaurants and didn't think about pacing themselves. When it came to junk food, there was no such thing as boundaries.

"Ugh…" Madison sat back in her chair and rubbed a hand across her stomach. "Remind me to not eat for a few days."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure everything we just ate will last us a while," Stephanie muttered before reaching to take a sip of her water.

Madison was definitely tempted to unbutton her jeans. Her shirt was long enough and no one would notice. Just as she reached to do it, the waitress that had been serving them walked up with a smile so she quickly brought her hands back up to the table.

"Everything okay here? Does anyone want the last piece or should I take—"

"Take it, please," Madison insisted just as Stephanie blurted, "Oh no, we're good."

As the girl took the lonely slice of pizza away, Madison sighed and slumped down in her seat. Her poor stomach was slaving away trying to digest all that greasy cheese and soon enough she was going to need a hard nap. Maybe eventually she'd start watching her diet and eat healthier… Key word: eventually, she thought.

Glancing around the restaurant, Madison took a minute to observe her surroundings. It was moderately busy for a Thursday night despite the fact that most people were getting off from their day jobs now. A couple in a small booth several yards away was laughing, and a small family with children were just now ordering their food. No one sat in the booth behind Stephanie and the waitress was still at her register near the kitchen, busy chatting with one of the busboys.

So maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun.

After scanning the clutter on their table, running her gaze over the greasy plates, crumpled napkins, and used forks and knives, Madison finally settled on the straw in her sister's glass of water. At her silent will and command, it twitched once… and then a second time.

Stephanie, who was texting away on her phone, didn't notice. So Madison did it again, but this time she moved the straw an inch to the side, causing the ice to clink inside the glass.

"Maddie."

Her sister's eyes were drawn to the straw, thumbs frozen in mid-text. "What are you doing?" she asked in a low voice, looking up at Madison with wide eyes.

Madison shrugged and smiled a little. "Nothin'."

The straw moved a fourth time, spinning in place for a few seconds and then stopping.

"Stop it!" Stephanie whispered, reaching to hold it between her fingers. "Someone might see."

The brunette looked around and said, "Eh. No one's looking."

Tilting her head to the side and giving her a scolding look, Stephanie put her phone down and said, "We've already talked about this: no shenanigans in public."

"Oh, come on. We haven't always followed that rule." Madison crossed her arms and raised a brow. "I know you're tempted. It's not just me."

"Uh, yeah, it is."

"No, it's not."

Stephanie just shook her head. "I'd rather not have someone point a finger and scream, 'Meta-human!'" Her eyes darted around, probably looking to see if anyone had heard her.

Madison had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "I'm not saying you have to walk on water, Steph. Seriously, we've done the smallest of things before..."

A few moments of silence passed while the two stared at each other. Then Stephanie let out a sigh and picked up her phone, not saying a word. Madison was about to leave her alone and give up when water began dripping out of the straw. Glancing at her sister, she saw that the woman was grinning just the slightest bit while pretending to be occupied with something on her screen.

Before she could say something, Madison watched as a few drops of water began inching up the inside of the glass towards the rim. She resisted a smile, putting a hand up to her mouth. Although their little acts were small, the thrill of doing them was huge. Using their abilities while trying to remain discreet in public was risky, which was why they didn't do it often... but that was what made it much more exciting.

The two were at it for another minute or so until Madison noticed that one of the kids in the family nearby was staring. He was probably about eight years old, holding a crayon in his hand... but his eyes were nowhere near the coloring menu on the table.

Immediately the straw in the glass stopped moving and Madison tore her gaze from the boy's. Stephanie, noticing her sister's change in behavior, looked around and saw what had made her anxious so suddenly. The water droplets slid back down and she grabbed the glass to drink from it. Under her breath, she said, "He's a kid. He won't understand."

Madison said nothing but she hoped Stephanie was right. This was the first time they'd ever had anyone catch their antics, and even if it was a child... there was still a likelihood that they could be exposed.

She let out a breath of relief when their waitress came back with the check. "Keep the change," she told her while slapping down the bills.

"Thank you!" Stephanie slid out of the booth, quickly grabbing for her purse.

Heart thumping in her chest, Madison could've sworn she felt the boy's eyes on her back as they walked towards the exit, but there was nothing they could do about it now. Her sister walked silently beside her to the car and it seemed like neither of them wanted to say anything until they'd safely shut their doors.

"So... yeah. We're never doing that again," Stephanie spoke up from the driver's seat. Her eyes were kept ahead of her as she drove out of the parking lot, but her grip on the wheel was tight.

"Yeah," was all Madison could say.

They drove the rest of the way to her apartment in silence. Normally when something bothered them, they would rant about it and go on and on… but this time, it was different. There had only been a few other moments when they had no words to express what they were thinking or feeling and didn't want to talk about it anyway. Madison knew that when she got home she was going to have to find a way to distract herself and keep the anxiety at bay. If she didn't, the panic and "what if" scenarios were going to keep her up at night.

Then it'd be a repeat of the weeks that came after her powers were revealed, and that was the last thing she wanted to relive.

When the car came to a stop in front of the apartment building, the two of them sat silently for a few moments. The sky was darkening already, and within a few hours it'd be a bluish black canvas above the city, signaling that the day was coming to an end. It also meant that the worst of Central City would be out and no one would be able to keep from constantly looking over their shoulder… meta-humans and regular people alike.

Taking a deep breath, Madison reached for the door handle but a hand grabbed her elbow.

"Hey," Stephanie said calmly. "We're going to be fine, okay?" She held her gaze steady, making the brunette look away briefly.

With a thin smile on her face, Madison met her eyes again and answered, "I know."

As much as she wanted to believe it and brush off what had happened in the restaurant, she knew it would take time for the paranoia to settle. Even as she waved goodbye and watched Stephanie drive away, there was no denying the uneasy feeling in her gut, something she hadn't felt in a really long time.

There was a voice in the back of her mind saying their secrets were too big to keep… And after a year of living (almost) comfortably with her powers, it was this one slip-up that had managed to shatter any sense of security and comfort she had been able to find.

Forcing the negative thoughts away, Madison headed up the stairs and into her apartment, determined to find the perfect distraction. At the moment, an ideal one would've been just shy of six feet tall with ruffled, brownish blond hair and sarcastic eyes, an obnoxious personality but unusual obsession with TV dramas—

"Finally!"

The exact guy she'd been thinking about was sitting on the couch in the living room, looking over at her with mock frustration. Chuckling, Madison kicked off her converse and tossed her keys onto the hallway table. "Miss me much?"

"I guess," Grayson replied, standing up and approaching her with a grin. "But I was actually looking forward to some leftovers." He dodged the slap aimed at his arm and laughed.

Rolling her eyes, Madison chose to ignore the comment and went over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Well, that's too bad 'cause Steph and I devoured the whole thing."

"You did not."

"We so did and I have the proof to show it," she responded slyly, pulling up her shirt to reveal the loose button on her jeans. Man, it'd been a relief to do that on the way home.

Grayson pursed his lips and then shrugged. "Alright. I forgive you this time."

She snorted and headed towards the bedroom, letting him follow her to ask about her day. Grayson was her boyfriend of two years, though at times it felt like it'd been longer. They'd met during a trip that she and Stephanie had taken to Star City after they both graduated and instantly clicked. At the time, he'd been in the process of moving to Central City, which presented the perfect opportunity for Madison to offer to be his tour guide. Not even a few months later, she ended up deciding not to renew the lease at her own apartment and instead took her belongings to Grayson's.

Now here they were, years later and in as serious a relationship as anyone could get without the marriage certificate and rings to match. But at twenty-six years old, Madison couldn't help wishing those things would soon be in her future.

"Yeah I definitely ate too much," she huffed, frowning at her bare stomach in the mirror. Then she yanked on one of Grayson's shirts, grateful that it was loose and wouldn't constrict all that food.

From his sprawled position on the bed, Grayson chuckled and shook his head. "What time are you off tomorrow?"

"Since I got stuck with the early shift, I'm off at three." Madison cringed at the idea of getting up before six in the morning. She swore her boss knew how much she was not a morning person and purposely scheduled her to open. A few days on the job and she was already partially convinced he didn't like her.

Tugging her jeans off, she said, "Why do you ask?"

He sat up and looked at her, running a hand through his hair. "I was just thinking we could grab something to eat. I just have something to do around noon but I can come get you after you're done?"

"We can do that." The thought of a date with Grayson after work made her actually look forward to brewing coffee in the morning for grouchy customers.

"Hey," Madison heard him say and she turned from the dresser to see that he'd gotten up from the bed and was now standing close to her.

She was about to say "Hey yourself" but was interrupted by him grabbing her around the waist for a kiss. Her hands immediately went behind his neck, holding him firmly so he wouldn't budge.

Pulling back after a moment, Grayson ran his gaze over her face and the corner of his mouth lifted with the crooked grin she'd always loved. "I love you, Maddie."

There was no stopping the smile on her face that matched his. "I love you, too, loser."

With a chuckle, he gave her another short kiss before turning to go back into the living room. "Now hurry that ass up. I wanna get a few episodes in tonight."

Madison let out a snort. "Of course you do."

By the time the two of them had watched three episodes of Grayson's favorite drama, she hadn't thought about the dinner with Stephanie at all. But once her phone vibrated with a text message from her sister asking if she was okay, Madison remembered the boy that had stared at them in the restaurant and her stomach dropped a little.

Before responding, she looked over at the man laying next to her in bed, who was laughing at a video compilation of cats doing funny things on his phone. The sound of his snickers made her smile and she realized that his presence really did serve as a perfect distraction... and that was one of the reasons she loved him. Without being asked, Grayson had somehow managed to take her mind off the risk the sisters had posed tonight, and that was without even knowing that she needed it.

Keeping him in the dark was a whole separate issue that Madison was going to have to deal with another time. For now, she could focus on being with her goofball of a boyfriend and preparing for a six a.m. shift, which she was not looking forward to.

With a sigh, she looked back down at her phone and began to type. _We'll be okay, just like you said._

* * *

"Two caramel macchiatos and one red eye!"

Madison popped the lid onto the drink before gently pushing it into the cardboard carrier where the other two waited. The man waiting just a few feet away stepped forward to take the order and nodded his thanks.

It was the first rush during her shift at CC Jitters, the coffee shop she'd been hired at earlier in the week, and Madison was definitely feeling the pressure. The air was too warm and that was either due to the constant brewing of coffee or the kitchen behind her that was spitting out hot breakfast plates for customers. Either way, she was sweating a little in her t-shirt and her hair was tied back in a sloppy braid.

"Hi," she greeted the woman waiting at the register, wiping her hands hastily on the apron around her waist. "What can I get for you?"

"What do you have that's simple?" The woman narrowed her dark eyes at the menu behind Madison. Everything about her seemed too put together; her grayish-black hair was in a perfect bun and there wasn't a spot of lint anywhere on her navy blue pantsuit.

The brunette raised her brows and responded, "Well, I mean, we have hot chocolate and chai tea, unless you're wanting a coffee-"

"Of course I want coffee!" she scoffed with an eye roll. "You're a coffee shop, aren't you?"

Madison bit the inside of her cheek and forced a smile. "Right..."

 _What I would give to say more to you._

"Well, I can do a cappuccino, which is part espresso, foamed milk, and steamed milk," she continued, counting on her fingers as she spoke. "Mochas are essentially the same thing but with chocolate. Then there's the Flash, which is actually pretty unique because it's named after-"

"I know who he is," the customer interrupted with a stare.

Madison pressed her lips together and nodded. "It's brewed coffee with a shot of espresso."

Although she'd expected it, she hated customers like this. It was only in the morning that she interacted with snarky people here, but luckily most of the ones that came through her line were too sleepy or still waking up to make much of a fuss. Of course, you could find those few that had a sense of entitlement anywhere: in coffee shops, retail stores, the grocery line, in an over-ironed pantsuit...

Seven a.m. didn't look good on most people, and it didn't help that Madison wasn't a morning person either.

"Fine, I'll try that," the woman finally said, reaching up to fix her hair. "But make it two shots. No more, no less."

Without a word, Madison proceeded to make the drink, running a list of profanities through her mind. Part of her wanted to purposely screw with it somehow but another part of her figured the woman would be the type to know if it tasted off in any way. If anything, she was just going to have to make it as perfect as possible so that there would be no complaints about it.

That and maybe she'll remove whatever silver spoon is up her ass.

Once the drink was made and payment was taken, Madison handed over the warm cup and watched as her coffee-making skills were evaluated. The woman stared off into the distance, thinking hard about the taste, and then after a few long moments... she walked away without a word.

"You're welcome," Madison muttered to herself.

"Early mornings bring out the worst in people."

Her next customer was one she'd already seen every time she opened the shop. That meant his face was one she'd be seeing regularly, but if Madison was going to be honest, she wouldn't mind that at all.

He was several inches taller than her and slim with an athletic build. Wavy brown hair stood up boyishly from his head, but it wasn't that ridiculous "faux hawk" thing that guys still had going on nowadays. Even at this ungodly hour his eyes were bright and smiling, which was something refreshing, especially after the woman she'd had to deal with.

He couldn't have been much older than Madison, but by the looks of his maroon sweater, wrinkle-free button up, and casual slacks, this guy either had a much better paying job than where she was at now or he simply had what Steph might've called an "adorkable" sense of fashion.

"I can't blame them," Madison replied with a shrug. "If I had it my way, I wouldn't roll out of bed before ten."

A grin spread across his face and he shook his head. "I'm with you there on that one. It should be illegal to be up this early."

She laughed and said, "Tell me about it. Is that why you're always here?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Madison questioned it. Why did she have to tell him that she'd noticed how often he was here? That was kind of weird.

But then again, it was normal for people to notice things like that, right? Cashiers knew when their store had regulars.

Before she could get too caught up in her thoughts, the dark-haired stranger spoke up. "Yeah, it is," he responded with a sheepish smile. "This is my favorite place to go to, even if I'm not getting coffee in the morning."

Well, he didn't seem put off by her observation. Cool.

"That's good to hear!" Madison grinned. "So what is it for you today? Do you want a Flash with two shots, too?"

"Oh, no, definitely not," he groaned and rolled his eyes. "Believe me, it's a great drink, but when it came out, it's all I had for a while."

She chuckled and joked, "Getting tired of the Flash, huh? It's okay, I won't tell him."

"Hopefully he doesn't mind if I get a black coffee," he responded with a grin.

This guy was definitely turning out to be one of the more pleasant customers she'd ever dealt with. Even after the sour interaction with the previous one, this conversation had managed to erase any bitter "I hate people" thoughts that Madison had been having. And when it came to her mindset, that was an impressive thing to do.

A minute later, she slid the drink towards him and he took it with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Madison."

"No problem, uh...?" Her voice trailed off, realizing she didn't know what to call him.

He flashed another smile before raising his cup and saying, "Barry."

"Barry," Madison finished with a nod.

She couldn't help but keep her gaze on him as she started to rinse out one of the blenders, watching as he met a pretty, dark-skinned girl who was waiting for him. Barry said something, making the girl laugh and place her hands on his face to kiss him. The ring on her finger flashed in the morning sunlight that was peeking through the blinds and immediately Madison's thoughts went to Grayson.

This morning, while she'd been getting ready, he had gone out of his way to cook her a full breakfast complete with eggs, toast, coffee, the works... The gesture had made her feel incredibly spoiled and almost guilty, but it wasn't out of the ordinary. Grayson had always been thoughtful, sometimes so much that Madison wondered how it was possible that someone could be so selfless. Yet she'd never complained about it; it was this kind of treatment from him that made her feel better when she was feeling down. Without him, there was a good chance she'd be a Negative Nancy for the rest of her life and Stephanie would probably want to get rid of her.

She was more positive than ever that she would never fall for anyone else. It was just a matter of time until her ring finger would reflect that.

"Um, excuse me?" A man who was balding stood at the register with an annoyed expression. "I've been waiting here for, like, half an hour."

And with that, Madison was pulled away from the thoughts of wedding announcements and being Mrs. Grayson Delaney, and back into her reality that was angry customers and wishful thinking.

This sure was the life.

* * *

 **Note:** For the sake of this story, we're assuming that Barry never had to go into the speed force, but everything else that happened with HR, Savitar, etc. still stands.

As for Arrow, season 5 left off with us wondering what happened to the team on Lian Yu. All of that also still stands: Malcolm Merlyn and William's mother died, and everyone else (all of Team Arrow) survived and made it out okay. Thea is in a coma.

Everything will be further explained later on as we progress through this fic, although the endings of these tv shows aren't particularly super important in what I'm writing. But for now, that's all you need to know. Hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2: Stranger Things

Chapter 2: Stranger Things

It had taken a while to get to sleep after what had happened back at the restaurant. Her sister was usually the one that became more antsy and nervous, but now Stephanie wasn't so sure about it this time. They had always been so _careful_...

And to have a little boy like that catch them in the act? He might've been a kid but who was she kidding? A risk was a risk and a possibility was a possibility, no matter how small.

If worrying about their exposure hadn't been enough, stressing about her first day at her new job certainly kept her up. Her palms were sweating as she pulled into the parking lot of the Central City Police Department and she felt the need to double check herself in the mirror. No frizzy stray hairs? Check. No running mascara? Check. One more spritz of perfume? Double check. She just needed a few more swipes with the lint roller over her brand new light pink button-up and black slacks, then she was good to go.

A couple deep breaths later, Stephanie began making her way towards the doors, smiling at a pair of police officers that were passing by. Her heels clicked against the pavement and she prayed that she wouldn't trip and fall on her face. The Glock that was holstered snugly at her hip seemed heavier than usual, and she was shaking with nervousness... or maybe that was the two strong cups of coffee kicking in.

About three years ago, she'd gotten her foot in the door of law enforcement just before graduating from college. A precinct on the other side of the city hired her on as a detective and that was where she'd stayed for two years before they made her a police officer.

Unfortunately, the adjustment from one position to another had happened around the same time she and Madison discovered their powers. Not that going from being a detective to a cop was a particularly life-changing event, but realizing she could breathe in water and manipulate it certainly was. It made everything in their lives more difficult and Stephanie knew she had to figure out how to control her new ability before she accidentally did something to expose herself. For weeks on end, she'd been terrified that one day, while on patrol or in the middle of a gunfight, her willpower would slip and people would then know her as another meta-human.

But luckily, that day was still yet to come. Eventually she'd come to miss her detective work but transferring to CCPD's main precinct was the only way she could go back to it.

The elevator dinged and its doors slid open, revealing what would be Stephanie's new second home. Several suits and badges passed by as she stepped out onto the polished floor. She tried not to look too fascinated, spinning in a slow circle and taking it all in.

The architecture was a mix of warm mahogany wood and shiny marble. Two desks flanked an entryway leading into a large office space that more suits and uniforms occupied. Behind each desk was a stairway made of the same beige and dark green marble that was beneath her feet.

Stephanie's eyes landed on a large mural that hung on the wall above a few benches. Carved from a yellowish gold, it bore what appeared to be Greek gods standing in front of an eagle. There were seven of them in total and she could at least recognize Zeus in the middle, who held a lightning bolt, as well as Poseidon and his trident. At the top, it read in large capital letters: CENTRAL CITY POLICE. Her gaze ran over it, admiring the handiwork. If only she'd paid a little more attention in her Ancient Greek mythology class back at Hudson University, then maybe she'd know more about the mural's meaning.

The words "Truth, Liberty, Justice" decorated the bottom of it, adorning the platform where a few of the gods sat. Reading them sent reassurance through Stephanie and for a moment, her anxiety disappeared. The motto was one that had led her through life... the words were part of what had driven her to be where she was now.

But if she kept lingering, her position with the police department probably wouldn't last very long. The minute hand on her watch ticked closer to seven-thirty and there was no way lateness would make a good first impression.

Stephanie approached the man behind one of the front desks, who wore a light, grayish-blue uniform. "Hi, I'm looking for Detective West."

He didn't respond but instead looked at something over her shoulder and gave a nod.

Turning, she saw that a dark-skinned man was standing just a few feet away, looking at her. He was dressed smartly in a dress shirt and tie, as well as a shoulder holster. The hairline on his head was receding, giving her a good guess at his age, but the man's hair wasn't gray just yet. If anything, he was at least old enough to be her father.

"That would be me," he said, stepping forward. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm Stephanie," she introduced herself and offered a hand. "Stephanie Riker. I'm the transfer from-"

"That's right! Yeah, I know who you are." He shook her hand firmly and smiled. "Missed the detective work, did you? I don't know many people like that."

Stephanie let out a laugh. "I mean, I liked being a cop but being a detective was my goal for the longest time. It's just really nice to go back to what I really enjoy the most."

"Hudson University with a degree in criminal justice, correct? And a minor in psychology."

"Yes, sir."

"Well, if there's anyone that would be new to the team, I'm glad it's someone who actually has a passion for what they do," he said, gesturing for her to follow him as he began to walk.

"Thank you, Detective," Stephanie replied and fell into step beside him.

He waved a hand lazily. "We're going to be working together pretty often. You can call me Joe."

Joe began to introduce her to more people in the precinct, which didn't work well with her nerves. Meeting strangers and having to remember names had never been Stephanie's strong point; focusing her energy on a certain case and getting to know the ins and outs of all variables involved was her forte. Fortunately, everyone was welcoming and friendly, which helped the nerves.

Despite her initial worries about being new and having to adjust, Stephanie found herself enjoying Joe's company. He appeared to get along with everyone pretty well, but then again, it didn't mean she wouldn't butt heads with him in the future. That had definitely been an issue with other people for her once or twice in the past.

Stephanie had been chatting with an officer at her new desk when Joe came up to them. His face was serious as he said, "We just got reports in about a body found downtown. Riker, you up for your first case?"

"Of course," she responded as the officer next to her excused himself.

As they started towards the elevator, Joe's name was called. Stephanie looked up to see someone taking the steps three at a time down the stairs, his book bag bouncing at his side. He had a slim but tall frame and dark hair that was sticking out in a few places like he'd run his fingers through it in distress.

"Barry." Joe gestured towards her. "This is Stephanie. She's our new detective."

Stephanie took the guy's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Barry."

"Barry Allen is one of our crime scene investigators," Joe explained. "Are you heading over there, too?"

Barry's eyebrows rose. "Not yet. I need to run and take care of something really quick." He paused for the briefest moment. "But Julian should be heading there now."

The detective gave him a stern look before responding, "Alright, we'll see you soon."

"Sounds good." Barry nodded and then smiled at Stephanie. "It was nice meeting you, Stephanie."

She waved at him before following after Joe, stepping into the elevator just before the doors shut.

It was overcast in Central City and she almost regretted not bringing a coat. The sky was simply a blanket of clouds and the air felt somewhat muggy and uncomfortable. Pedestrians littered the sidewalks, objects of Stephanie's attention as she sat in the passenger seat of Joe's car. It always amazed her during her moments of people-watching that there was a dead body in their midst and they had no idea. Every person that hurried to their next destination or sat in a cafe while drinking coffee had his or her own story... and some of them would never know if the victim had ever passed through their lives and that they never would again.

Joe pulled in to an alleyway that led off from a busy street and cut between a diner and clothing store. There were a few police vehicles blocking access and several officers were scattered in the area. Shutting the door behind her, Stephanie caught whiffs of greasy burgers and fries mixed with cigarette smoke. She and Joe made their way through the alley, flashing their badges at the officer standing near the caution tape.

Just beyond the overflowing dumpsters towards the left was a pair of legs, barely visible behind the police officer waiting for them. Light blond hair stuck out from under his hat and he looked solemn.

"Officer Henderson," Joe greeted with a handshake. "This is Detective Riker."

After gripping Stephanie's hand, he eyed Joe and asked, "CCPD thought you needed a little help?"

Stephanie couldn't tell if the man was joking or simply being a jerk. She watched as Joe gave a sigh and replied, "Well, with my luck, this young lady will solve this entire case without me." He threw her a grin and she laughed.

"Oh, I don't know about that," she replied, but she was flattered he would say such a thing.

Henderson grinned briefly and then stepped back to give them a better look at the body. Another man with dirty blond hair was bent over it, his gloved hands poking and prodding in various places. Stephanie guessed that he was the other CSI, Julian, that Barry had mentioned.

"A call came in from one of the employees next door taking out the trash," Henderson explained. "Deceased male, ID says his name was Jacob Kersey. Thirty-six years old."

"Doesn't seem like he had a struggle with anyone," Julian said as he looked up at them. His voice was thick with a British accent. "No signs of a beating. No obvious cuts, bruises, or any lacerations."

Stephanie stepped around Henderson to take a closer look. The victim had light brown cropped hair and was dressed in a light jacket, t-shirt, and jeans. There was nothing more than wrinkles in his clothing. It had been a long time since seeing a dead body affected her, but there was no denying that a small part of her always felt somewhat sorry for the victim and the people close to them.

"So nothing was stolen?" she asked.

"It doesn't appear so. His ID was in his wallet," Henderson answered. "Couple of credit cards, single bills, and coupons."

"So no one took his money," Stephanie thought aloud, biting on her lip.

"That's assuming someone did this to him." Joe bent down to take a closer look. "Any guesses, Julian?"

The CSI shook his head. "It must be something in his system, but if that were the case, the possibilities are still endless. Might've been a toxin or poison, or simply the failure of an organ in his body." Looking back down at the corpse, Julian added, "We're just going to have to take a closer look in the lab."

"Hey!"

The four of them looked up to see Barry hurrying towards them. He came to a stop next to Joe, who asked if everything was okay with him.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's good," Barry reassured him with a quick nod. "Sorry I'm late. What'd I miss?"

As Julian and Henderson proceeded to fill him in on the details, Stephanie approached Joe. "Maybe we should head back and see what we can dig up on him." Though the man's cause of death was still yet to be determined, she knew they couldn't rule out the possibility that it was a homicide. Whatever the case, they had to find out everything they could about this man, and hopefully uncover some clues.

Joe nodded. "Let's head back while we wait for those two to find something."

"Sounds like a plan," Stephanie agreed. She took one last look towards the body before following after him.

* * *

Hours later, they hadn't made much progress.

The two detectives had become occupied with an attempted break-in on the other side of the city, as well as a load of other miscellaneous work that prevented them from keeping track of time. It was past lunchtime when Joe began grumbling about food and Stephanie agreed that she was getting "hangry."

"Well then, let's find something because I don't want to wait to see how angry you get," Joe joked.

She shook her head vigorously and said, "Trust me. You'd ask to have me replaced."

They were on their way to the elevator, trading ideas for lunch spots, when both Barry and Julian caught up to them.

"Do you guys have a minute?" Barry asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"That depends," Joe responded as he crossed his arms. "Do you have suggestions for where we could grab something to eat? Apparently Miss Riker wants to avoid Jitters." He threw a grin at Stephanie and she shrugged.

"I know when my sister is having a bad day," she said with a chuckle. "And I intend on avoiding her cross-hairs, as should you."

Just as Barry opened his mouth to respond, Julian said, "You might want to hold off on thinking about food. It took some work but we finally got somewhere on the cause of Kersey's death."

Joe raised his brows. "Well, that makes one of us. We haven't been able to dig up very much on this guy besides the fact that he's one of the most normal people in this city. Stable job, a wife, no criminal history."

"And then we got caught up with a few other cases. To be honest, I really didn't expect my first day to be this busy," Stephanie chimed in. "Not that I'm complaining though."

"Well, it's certainly about to get more eventful." Julian gave them a look of seriousness and when Joe tilted his head in curiosity, the Brit gestured for them to follow.

They headed back into the main office space and towards the back right corner where Captain David Singh's office was located. He was sitting at his desk, staring intently at his computer when Julian rapped his knuckles against the door. After seeing them, he waved for them to come in.

"This must be pretty important if it's bringing you to my office," Singh said, leaning back in his chair. The sleeves of his blue button-up were messily rolled up to his elbows and the tie around his neck was loose. On the desk before him were scattered paperwork and half a cup of black coffee. Signs of a very busy and stressed man, Stephanie was sure.

She had met her new captain earlier in the day and her first impression of him had been neutral at best. Though their meeting had been brief and welcoming, she could tell by the way he interacted with others that he was a man that took no bullshit... and considering his position, she really couldn't blame him.

"It is, Captain," Barry reassured him. "It took a little while but Julian and I managed to find out why Kersey died."

"It wasn't any sort of natural cause of death, like the failure of an organ." Julian crossed his arms, his tone sounding slightly authoritative. "But his blood tests suggested high levels of toxins and other unnatural chemicals that the human body is not composed of... and, frankly, can't handle either."

"So what are you saying?" Stephanie furrowed her brow. "He was poisoned somehow?"

"Precisely," he replied, holding up an index finger. "But the 'somehow' is what's intriguing."

Barry jumped in and explained, "There was no evidence of him being exposed to an airborne gas, so we had to rule out inhalation. We did a little more digging-not literally. Well, I mean, we made incisions to take a look at what was going on under his skin, so I guess you could say we dug-"

"Allen." Singh stared at him.

"Right, right, sorry," the CSI stuttered and took a moment to compose himself. "Kersey also had no evidence of surface wounds that would suggest he'd been injected with whatever poison killed him."

"So you don't know how this poison even got in his system," Joe guessed, earning a nod from Julian, who pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Singh.

It was a small plastic evidence bag containing what appeared to be some kind of small computer chip that was probably no bigger than the eraser head of a pencil. "There was a healed scar at the nape of his neck less than an inch long," Julian explained. "Right underneath it was some kind of bump and it felt too irregular to be part of the spine."

"This was in his body?" Singh asked, incredulity coloring his voice and both of the young men nodded.

"What the hell is a microchip doing under a man's skin?" Stephanie asked aloud.

Barry shook his head and responded, "That's still a mystery to us, but I have a feeling it's connected to the poison that killed him."

Though she wasn't a chemist by any means, Stephanie knew that there was something incredibly strange about a piece of technology being inside of a man that had died by poison. In all her time of being a detective, her most unique cases usually involved meta-humans, and those situations alone held enough oddities to be witnessed for a lifetime... and that wasn't including her own powers.

Microchips and the magical appearance of poison were definitely a whole new ballgame.

Singh spoke up, his gaze trained on the two investigators. "Do you even know what this poison is?"

"Something we haven't seen before," Julian responded. He appeared to be irritated that he didn't have a real answer. "We'll have to run additional tests and possibly send it out of the city to have other labs take a look, but it certainly isn't your store-bought rat poison. It completely destroyed Kersey's insides and decimated his nervous system."

Stephanie couldn't help shivering and Joe nodded in agreement next to her.

"I'll find someone to inspect the chip," Barry added, gesturing towards the bag that was still in Singh's hand.

Singh then said, "Find out everything you can," and handed the microchip back to Julian. "There's a whole back story to this mess and if someone's out there killing people via computer chip or poison or whatever, we'd better figure out who it is... and why."

"Riker and I will set out to talk to Kersey's family," Joe offered as he headed towards the door. "He's got a wife not too far from here. Maybe she'll have some answers."

Singh pinched the bridge of his nose. "And here I thought I'd already seen it all. Meta-humans and everything."

Barry raised his brows and pressed his lips together before saying, "Believe it or not, but I've seen stranger things."

Though Stephanie wasn't sure what he'd meant, something about the way he'd said it made her believe he wasn't lying. And why would he? They lived in a world of super-powered humans and, just recently, the practice of micro-chipping. She wouldn't be surprised if she woke up tomorrow and pigs could suddenly fly.

"Let's hope Ms. Kersey can tell us something useful," Joe sighed as they left Singh's office. "You haven't seen anything like this before, have you?"

Stephanie shook her head. "Nope, but I have to say that Barry's right. In this world, anything is possible."

He chuckled and said, "And that is what makes it that much more dangerous."

Though she'd managed to not think of it all day, Joe's words reminded her of the incident last night. As she recalled the intrigued look on the young boy's face and how easily she and Madison could've been exposed, Stephanie knew that the man was right. They were living in a world where harm and death crept at each corner.

And the micro-chipped man who'd died by a deadly poison was enough to prove it.


	3. Chapter 3: 1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back

**Note:** Thanks so much to Scarlett for giving me my first review :D

* * *

Chapter 3: One Step Forward, Three Steps Back

"You know, I never thought I'd see the day when I'd actually suggest for you to steal evidence and bring it to STAR Labs."

Barry and Julian walked through the curved hallway, nearing the cortex of STAR Labs. After Joe and Stephanie had left to visit the newly widowed Veronica Kersey, the two investigators decided that the puzzling mysteries involving the microchip and poison might be solved elsewhere.

At Julian's remark, Barry grinned and replied, "And I never thought I'd get struck by lightning, wake up with super-speed, and spend the next three years fighting deranged meta-humans and trying to save everyone I know and love."

He paused, furrowing his brows in thought, and added, "That sounded way less depressing in my head."

They approached the cortex and saw that Cisco was sitting in his usual chair, fingers flying across the keyboard. Although it had been this way for over two months now, the mechanical engineer was alone in there and it still hurt Barry to witness it. The absence of Caitlin and HR was a wound that continued to throb even after Savitar's defeat, a bittersweet victory that lingered in the back of Barry's mind every day.

What was left of Team Flash struggled to continue their lives and move on, but there was no denying the unspoken sadness that hung in the air. Tracy had left abruptly and no one could blame her; despite their success in saving Iris, HR's sacrifice had torn a hole in the team and put a stop to the pair's blossoming romance.

As for Caitlin... well, it seemed that she still needed more time figuring out who she was. Was she planning on a new name to distinguish her leaving behind Caitlin Snow and Killer Frost? Nobody knew, but Barry did know Cisco well enough to see that the guy was searching for her when he thought no one was looking. There had been too many times when the speedster snuck up on him and Cisco scrambled to cover up his work, putting on a very poor acting performance.

There had been no sign of their lost friend in the last two months, and Barry could only assume that she was doing a great job at hiding. If she'd wanted to be found, she would have shown her self, but he didn't have the heart to tell his friend that just yet.

"What brings you to my office?" Cisco asked when he saw them, clasping his hands behind his head.

Barry pulled the evidence bag containing the microchip from his pocket and tossed it at him. "That was found hiding just between the C4 and C5 vertebrae in a victim's spine earlier today."

While Cisco inspected it, Julian jumped in and explained their findings, including the unknown poison and how it had to be connected to the chip. The look of bewilderment on Cisco's face grew with every detail and he began staring at the microchip with a mixed look of disgust and awe.

"It sounds crazy," Barry began, gesturing with his hand, "but maybe that tiny chip there somehow distributed the poison that killed Kersey. I mean, is that even possible?"

Cisco stood from his chair and headed towards the medical lab, the other two men following after him. "Well, _anything_ is possible in this world. But this is definitely a piece of tech that I haven't seen before… and that's both terrifying and exciting."

As he took a minute to examine the chip under a microscope, Julian turned towards Barry and crossed his arms. "So how's the wedding planning going?"

Barry frowned and tilted his head. "Didn't you ask me that last week?"

"It's likely."

"Can't blame him," Cisco said, lifting his head to look at them. "It's not like we have much going for ourselves around here." The expression on his face was unreadable, though Barry caught what looked like brief pain. "I mean, besides your wedding."

"I think what Cisco is trying to say is that we're happy for you regardless what's happened," Julian cut in, raising a brow at Barry with a small smile.

Barry only nodded and returned the smile, unsure of what to say. It seemed uncharacteristic for Julian to be "positive," if anyone could call it that. That wasn't to say that he wasn't hurting; it had been clear plenty of times that the Brit was broken over Caitlin's absence as well as HR's death. It just pained Barry to see what kind of toll their losses were taking on everyone, like Julian covering up his grief by pretending to be okay... and in a way it made him feel guilty.

He was beyond grateful that Iris was alive and no one could prove otherwise, yet it almost felt like a crime to be happy. The team hadn't lost Iris but it had suffered from losing two others.

"This doesn't feel like one step forward and two steps back," Cisco had said weeks ago. "It's more like one step forward and _three_ steps back."

And Barry, in his all too familiar tendencies to drown in his conflicting feelings, found himself agreeing with his friend more and more every day.

"This is definitely not like the few subdermal implants that can be sold on the market," Cisco began as he turned to face Barry and Julian. "I mean, it has all the basic components: silicate glass acts as the housing while the important guts on the inside consists of an RFID transponder."

"RFID?" Julian asked.

Cisco gestured with his hands as he spoke. "Radio-frequency identification," he clarified. "It uses electromagnetic fields to keep track of certain indicators, meaning all _kinds_ of information. In the case of microchipping people for that matter..." He gave a shudder and added, "This stuff can store your medical records, birth certificate, yadda yadda."

Barry opened his mouth to speak but Cisco spoke again, looking off into the distance in mock horror. "It's like a real-life Orwellian novel out there... You know, minus the meta-humans and aliens and all that."

"So do you think that transponder contains anything useful?" Julian jumped in, pointing at the microchip that still sat under the microscope.

"It could probably lead us to whoever put that chip in Kersey in the first place." Barry looked between the two with raised brows. "And if there aren't that many manufacturers for these implants, maybe we could narrow down the options to find out who made this one."

Understanding dawned on Cisco's face and he pointed at Barry. "Exactly," he agreed. "And to speed up the process since, you know, you stole this evidence and will probably have to put it back as soon as possible, I'll give our friends in Star City a call."

"Or maybe I could just run over...?" Barry suggested slowly and gave an innocent shrug. "You know, let them take a look at it and say hi while I'm there."

Cisco and Julian exchanged knowing looks and his gaze darted anxiously between them.

"What?"

* * *

He couldn't exactly remember the last time he'd seen Team Arrow in Star City, although he had spoken to Oliver over the phone sometime a while back before defeating Savitar. Both teams were constantly occupied with dangerous threats and saving lives, but there had been a handful of times when they'd worked together… like the time when aliens invaded the planet and the truth about Flashpoint came out.

Barry had always considered Oliver to be somewhat of a wiser, older brother even if he _had_ shot him with an arrow when he'd first gotten his powers. And Felicity… well, she may have seemed to be Barry's perfect counterpart at one point but she'd still remained a good friend and ally to him and the team.

If there was anyone that would be able to give him a hand with anything, it was them.

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Felicity beamed after Barry said exactly that. "I'm so glad you're capable of asking your friends for help!"

Next to her, Oliver rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I'm going to pretend I don't know what that means."

The three of them were in what was unofficially called the "Arrow Cave," standing beneath the ring of work lights that hung over the central work space... aka Felicity's number of monitors and keyboards. It was slightly chilly due to the ventilation system that was necessary to cool down all the tech and Barry was glad for it; the run between cities had left him a little winded.

He had already explained to them what was going on with the unusual death and both of them were more than happy to help.

Well, the blonde-haired computer genius was much better at expressing her enthusiasm unlike the brooding man next to her, but Barry knew Oliver's willingness was all the same.

"It might take a little while but I can definitely run this through some tests and figure out what kind of mad scientist would want to microchip some random guy living a totally normal life," Felicity reassured him, waving around the evidence bag.

Barry held his hands up. "Do whatever you need to do. It's all yours." Then he thought for a moment and added, "But I really can't be too long. Julian made it very clear that he would probably throw me under the bus if anyone found out I'd stolen evidence."

"I'm just a _little_ insulted that you're questioning my efficiency," she replied, holding her pointer finger and thumb an inch apart to indicate how insulted she was.

"Sorry!" Barry called as she rolled her eyes and stepped off the platform.

Oliver raised his brows at the speedster, his arms still crossed. "Care to share?" When Barry's brows furrowed in confusion, he chuckled and clarified, "You're not very good at hiding your feelings, Barry."

It was no surprise that the millionaire playboy turned vigilante would be able to sniff out his emotions. If anything, Oliver was much better at it and it helped that he usually always looked so serious, making most people struggle to determine what was really going on under his mask... literally and figuratively.

But before Barry could reply, Oliver gestured towards the elevator doors. "Let's take a walk."

It was overcast in Star City as the two men made their way down the sidewalk and away from what used to be Oliver's office for his mayoral campaign. Barry pulled his coat tighter around himself and then shoved his hands in his pockets, unsure of what to say. Beside him, Oliver glanced around and remained silent for a few long moments.

It didn't take long for the silence to be broken. Barry didn't know where to start but as soon as he opened his mouth, he spilled every thought on his mind about Savitar, Iris, HR... everything.

Oliver listened and remained silent, allowing him to vent his frustrations that seemed to have been pent up for quite some time. The expression on his face was unreadable but that was nothing new. Barry didn't really notice anyway since he was so busy getting everything off his chest.

Once he had finished and taken a deep breath, Oliver stopped in his tracks on the sidewalk and turned towards him. "Barry…" he began, gesturing with one hand. "When it comes to carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders and blaming yourself for all the things that went wrong, I'm somewhat of an expert."

A small grin lifted the corner of his mouth as he continued, "But you don't need me to tell you that what happened to your friend was out of your control. It was a decision that he made… and a noble one at that."

"No, I know that," Barry cut in. "But it's just so... _frustrating_ that we couldn't have defeated Savitar without losing anyone. I wanted to save Iris more than anything but that doesn't mean I wanted someone else to die." His voice lowered as he fought the lump forming in his throat. "And especially with Caitlin gone… I just don't know what to do, Ollie."

He took a deep breath and looked around their surroundings, watching as cars drove by and other people hurried past them to their next destination. Despite the fact that they were in a business district and surrounded by a number of busy lives, Barry felt helpless among them… distant. And somewhere out there were Tracy and Caitlin, living day by day in the pain that Savitar's wrath had caused them.

Oliver gave a sigh and gave Barry a long look. "I'm not saying that this is any easier than what you've been through before, but you _will_ get past this. No matter what happens, whether Caitlin comes back to you, the important thing is that you and the team move forward."

He stepped to the side to make the younger man look at him. "Move forward and marry Iris, Barry. She is your future now. That much is evident since you were able to change your future together even when you thought you couldn't."

The thought of finally being able to give Iris his last name sent a flutter of happiness through Barry and that was something he hadn't been able to feel very often in a long time. Yet he knew that Oliver was right; he had to be there for his friends, the team, and move forward. Even if it meant taking a step and being pushed back, the future was the only direction to move in.

"Let me ask you something, Barry."

Barry raised his brows and waited for the question. He had to admit the feeling of intimidation stirred in his stomach but that usually came with Oliver's straightforwardness.

"Did you really come all the way to Star City just to ask us for help with that microchip?"

Though Oliver probably didn't intend to, his stare made Barry feel compelled to the truth. Not that he would lie, but admitting to his intentions weren't exactly as easy as waking up late for work but managing to make it there in a flash.

Shrugging lightly, Barry answered, "I could've easily sent it out to another lab but I knew your resources here were a little bit more advanced." He gave a sheepish grin and added, "Aaand I wanted to talk to you about all this. I hate feeling helpless but... I know that I've got people that I can trust."

Oliver smiled and reached out to lightly punch his shoulder. "The feeling is mutual." He then tilted his head back in the direction they'd come from. "Let's head back and see if Felicity got anything."

They began walking again and Barry glanced over at him. "I gotta be honest: I'm dreading the day that she actually doesn't manage to figure something out."

"Don't tell her that."

"Or else…?" Barry asked jokingly, then quickly waved his head. "Never mind, don't answer that."

* * *

 **Note:** Please review and let me know what you think! xx


	4. Chapter 4: Doubt

Chapter 4: Doubt

The soda can hung suspended in the air about a foot above the kitchen counter. Its edges glowed with a bluish-purple aura, evidence of what was keeping it floating there. The can then moved through the air to where Madison sat on the couch in the living room, her fingers moving in very small gestures to help navigate it.

After letting it settle onto the coffee table before her, she huffed out a sigh and looked around the room. The full can of soda was easy; she needed something bigger and heavier. Things like chairs weren't too difficult to handle with one hand, but anything more than that required both of her hands to move.

 _Aha. Maybe the box of books I never unpacked?_

Training her focus and gaze on the medium-sized cardboard box in the corner of the room, Madison let her mind extend towards it. That same faint violet color shimmered around the edges as she struggled to lift what had to be at least forty pounds of fiction novels that remained to be read. The box wobbled a little as it rose a few inches above the floor but so did her concentration.

She could feel the weight of the books in her head, and it was uncomfortable. She'd unknowingly extended a hand, something that didn't necessarily help do the lifting but assisted in the direction of where she wanted something to go.

 _Who knew books were so freakin' heavy?_

Madison made a gesture, and at the same time, she pulled on the weight in her mind. The box went several more inches in the air and started moving slowly across the room. If she could just get it to the bedroom door-

"Maddie?"

Startled, she lost concentration, and the box of books, having barely made it halfway through its path, dropped to the floor.

Stephanie was standing in the hallway, trying not to laugh.

"Oops, sorry," her sister said. "You looked like you almost had it."

Rolling her eyes, Madison threw her hands up and replied, "Well, yeah, I really did until you decided to just waltz right in as if you can't knock."

"You gave me a key."

"Still! Some manners, please," she insisted as she stood up and pushed the box back to its corner with her feet.

"Manners, shmanners. Did you not get my text? I told you I was coming over." Stephanie dropped her purse onto the floor and plopped down into the recliner.

Eyeing the slacks and button-up she was still in, Madison answered, "Nope, but I'm guessing you came straight from work. Busy first day?"

"Dude, you have _no_ idea. I already have a homicide case."

Her eyebrows shot up, and she sat back on the couch. "Wow, that's exciting. How'd that go?"

"It's intense stuff, but there are definitely some weird things going on."

"Weirder than the stuff you worked on when the metas went crazy after the particle accelerator explosion?"

Stephanie reached for the soda can and pulled the tab. It hissed as the carbon dioxide released from its contents. "Not necessarily weirder, but… stranger in a new way."

Madison didn't say anything but nodded. She knew that her sister could only reveal so much about her work, but it was always intriguing following Central City's crime trends and hearing about it from someone who worked in law enforcement and saw them firsthand.

But Madison had seen her fair share of the city's worst, just from an entirely different perspective. While in college, she had worked for one of Central City's top marketing agencies, A&D Creative. There, she'd helped shape the brands and guide the marketing for major companies, and when the particle accelerator incident had occurred, her workload multiplied.

The newfound terror that settled upon the city had sent companies scrambling to readjust their image and figure out how to address the existence of meta-humans. One small retail business had lost customers after an employee was outed as a meta, and the owner turned to A&D Creative for help. But that was only one instance out of many waves of clients that the agency took in, and trying to balance the work with school had been far too stressful for Madison. She kept on though, knowing a promotion was waiting for her beyond graduation.

Her expectations had been destroyed within months.

Somehow, the agency had overestimated its abilities and ended up in a deep, financial hole that was too disastrous to fix. Madison was then laid off along with many others of A&D's best, and she'd been struggling to find something comparable since. No other marketing agencies were hiring, and the few public relations firms in the city were having troubles with their own swarms of clients.

Stephanie tended to have more luck in having things work out for her. Her career had taken off quickly as soon as she'd gotten her foot in the door, and though Madison wouldn't admit it, that stark difference in their paths sometimes discouraged her. She felt like her history with A&D was a black mark now on her resume, and maybe that was the reason why she was stuck making coffee and getting reprimanded by cranky business-people.

"Have you heard from RAW Media yet?"

Madison would've been surprised if her sister didn't also develop mind-reading abilities, too. It was either that or she was too easy to read.

"I gave them a call the other day, and one of the admin assistants said she'd get back to me," she replied with a shrug.

She met Stephanie's eyes and saw sympathy. Or was it pity? Man, she hoped not.

"Well, I hope they do," Stephanie said. "Didn't you say Grayson knows someone who works there?"

"Yeah, but I don't want him to try and get him to put in a word for me. I don't know who he is, and he doesn't know me."

Madison caught the "Come on" look on her sister's face. "What? He shouldn't vouch for someone he doesn't know, and I feel like that's cheating anyway. I want my resume to be enough for them to consider me."

"Okay, that's fair. Your resume is more than good enough though. They should see A&D and be sold on the spot."

 _Doubt it_ , Madison thought, but she wasn't going to say that out loud. There were too many times when the two of them had gotten into petty arguments because Stephanie thought she was being too negative.

A ringing jolted her from her thoughts. Stephanie put her cell phone up to her ear and said, "Hey, Joe."

Madison watched confusion and surprise fall across her features.

"Really? That was quick," she replied. "Yeah, sure. I'll be there soon."

After hanging up, Stephanie laid her head back on the couch and gave a heavy sigh.

"Duty calls?"

"Yup. We were waiting on some info, and I guess the CSIs got something," she replied as she stood and reached for her bag. "But I shouldn't be too long. Do you and Gray wanna come over for dinner?"

Madison replied, "If he doesn't get caught up at work, sure. He couldn't meet for lunch today 'cause he got busy, so…" She exaggerated a shrug and added, "We'll see."

"Oh, really? That sucks. I was thinking pho and maybe some shrimp tempura."

"Only if you save some of the batter to make fried Oreos."

Stephanie squinted at her. "Bring the Oreos?"

"Deal."

Once she was gone, Madison sat for a few moments in her chair, staring at the box of books. Then, taking a deep breath, she wrapped her mind around it like she'd done earlier until the violet shimmer appeared and lifted it into the air, determined to finish what her sister had interrupted.

* * *

"You're being stupid."

The statement, which had already been spoken too many times to bother him, only made Darrell roll his eyes. He'd lost count an hour ago while his friend continued "giving him advice," if it could pass as that.

"Then wear a sign that says you're with Stupid 'cause nothing is going to change," Darrell replied calmly. His hands were steady as he tinkered with the small piece of tech under his work lamp, patience being the only tool that would fix its issues. It was too bad that the guy who was lounging in a bean bag across the room didn't share that same virtue; he was fiddling impatiently with a small black box that was the size of a pack of cigarettes, and Darrell knew that sooner or later it would get broken.

"Miles, would you put that down? I swear, if you break anything..."

Miles set the device back on the bookshelf next to the other palm-sized projects that were Darrell's. "You don't even know what you're trying to do here," he retorted, waving a hand throughout the bedroom although his friend couldn't see. "What is the purpose of you creating this energy thing you're talking about?"

Darrell heaved a sigh and set down the tools he'd been holding before swiveling around in his chair. "You haven't been listening, have you? These are supposed to _help_ with my powers. They're energy sources... devices that can retain a charge for electrical currents."

"You mean help your dreams of being some kind of vigilante," Miles scoffed and shook his head. "Like I said, you're being dumb."

"At least you changed it up and used 'dumb' instead of 'stupid'."

"You don't even know how to use your powers!" Miles raised his voice, but Darrell didn't flinch. It was nothing new with them. "You're not the Flash, Darrell."

He felt another urge to roll his eyes but instead opted for an attempt at reason. "I've been practicing," he said firmly. "Yeah, I don't actually know the full extent of what I can do yet, but I know enough to realize that I can't just shut down the Pentagon. The energy has to come from somewhere... but right now, I can't just magically manifest it."

"And what do you plan to do when you figure out how to carry around these power sources? Take on the next meta-human that goes bat shit crazy out in the city?"

And there it went: another wasted attempt at reasoning with the guy who'd always had Unreasonable as his middle name since they were kids.

Yet this argument was nothing new in the twenty years that Darrell had known Miles. Darrell, the nerdy and creative kid with the thick-framed glasses, always bubbled with ideas and the new wave of technology, and Miles sometimes would shut him down. But Miles was the one who took pride in his own skills and usually failed to accept that sometimes he could actually be wrong. As charming and "real" as he was, the guy was a total pain in the ass most of the time to Darrell.

The two were a strange pair of opposites and always seemed to bicker more than they got along, and today was just another prime example. Sometimes Darrell had to wonder how in the world they were even still friends, but even a mind that ran on mathematical formulas and engineering blueprints could get exhausted trying to figure it out.

"Look, I don't know yet, okay?" he finally said, throwing his hands up helplessly. "But I'm a freaking _meta-human_. That's not exactly something I can ignore, and on top of that, I'm also an engineer."

Miles opened his mouth, but Darrell kept on. "So what the hell. Why not figure out what I can do and explore the possibilities? Even if it means I won't be like the Flash or Black Canary, at least I can be curious and inventive and have a better understanding of these powers."

His friend was quiet for a moment, but Darrell knew better than to assume he'd suddenly changed his mind. Miles wasn't the kind of person who was open to other perspectives.

So why was he wasting his breath for the millionth time?

"Whatever," Miles mumbled before scrambling to get up. "I'm working the next few days so I'll see you later this week."

Darrell chewed the inside of his cheek. "Are you still going to that party?"

"I think so," he answered distractedly, shoving his hands through all his pockets. "Where the hell are my keys?"

Part of him wanted to keep watching Miles continue the characteristic task of rummaging around for car keys that he lost a few times a week, but then Darrell realized it was a bad idea for a variety of reasons. Not only did he want the guy out of his room to leave him with all the work that had to be done, but it was also giving him anxiety knowing how easily his creations would get destroyed in the hunt.

Without a word, Darrell allowed his mind to expand, like casting a net of his heightened awareness into the air around him. A few spots glimmered within the net, fish that indicated sources of electrical energy and technology throughout the room. He could sense the smartphone on the table behind him as well as the one in Miles's pocket and the buzzing of a current behind the light switch and within the work lamp.

There was another bundle of energy, more muted than others, and Darrell could feel that it was weaker than everything else he'd spotted. In a room of glimmering fires, it was a warm spot... a round lithium battery compared to the complex circuitry of the phones and lights. Standing from his chair, he went over to the bathroom that was connected to his room and returned with a black lanyard that jangled with multiple keys and a key fob for Miles's car.

The surprise on his friend's face was mild as he caught the keys effortlessly. "How did you…?" He stopped himself, probably realizing what he was about to ask, and then shook his head quickly. "Never mind. See you later."

And with that, Darrell kept his internal radar on, feeling two of the energy sources move further and further away, out the front door and into Miles's car. He felt the vehicle come to life, its energy sparking and buzzing powerfully enough to fuel the machine, and then decided to pull back his net.

The 28-year-old still remembered when he'd first realized that he could feel sources of electricity… technology, specifically. This was far before he learned how to "turn off" his radar so that he wasn't living every minute of every day _feeling_ all this living, breathing tech around him. But the day he became connected to these machines on such a strangely intimate level was a permanent memory burned into his brain... mentally and literally, since he'd felt the surges of lightning course through his body for what seemed like hours after the particle accelerator incident. Every movement had brought about sparks in his limbs, making him absolutely terrified at what had happened to him.

It'd been nothing like having a foot fall asleep and then enduring the invisible needles as the blood rushed back to it. Nope, it had been so much worse than that.

Just as memories of that one night he'd volunteered to stay late at work began to resurface, Darrell's cell phone rang and vibrated.

"Hello?" He set the phone on his desk and put it on speaker mode so he could continue working on the device.

"Hey! Darrell, it's Curtis. Is this a bad time?"

"Nah, you're good. What's up?"

"Are you free to meet me? Like… now? I kind of have a _thing_ and, well, long story short, I'm having trouble with this certain thing, but I figured I'd call you 'cause you're usually good with this stuff and, you know, like I said, I'm not—"

"Curtis."

"Yeah?"

"Just text me where you want to meet, and I'll be there soon."

"Okay, awesome! I'll text you right now. Yeah. See you soon. Thanks."

Darrell hung up and chuckled to himself before tightening the screw he'd been working on and dropping the screwdriver. Maybe hanging out with his old friend could serve as a good distraction from the attitude of his _other_ friend. Plus, Curtis must have something interesting to tell him; Darrell had met him years ago after his company was contracted to work for Palmer Technologies, and Curtis was there working in the Design Innovations department. The two had instantly clicked over their mutual love for technology and engineering.

Though Curtis had a personality that was a little quirkier, awkward, and more comical compared to Darrell's usual calm and quiet demeanor, their enthusiasm for their shared hobbies were one and the same. He was one of the few people Darrell liked to bounce ideas off of when it came to developing tech and talking about the latest innovations in the industry… and Darrell usually wasn't open to doing that with others that didn't share that same intrigue hence Miles's blatant disregard and disinterest in his "toys."

After grabbing his jacket and locking up his apartment, he checked the address again on his phone. Curtis wanted to meet at a diner just a few blocks away, and Darrell wasn't going to complain. Tech talk was done best over black coffee and carbs.

As he walked further into the heart of Star City, he flipped that mental switch in the part of his brain that could communicate with technology but cast the net only a short distance. Though it had taken him quite some time to learn how to control his awareness, Darrell was careful with how he used his power. If he didn't keep a solid grip on this mental net, every buzzing street light and cell phone and car battery would light up his mind, in turn surging through his body to the point where it became painful and uncomfortable. After the particle accelerator incident, Darrell had been taken to the hospital where he was bedridden for nearly a week…. on an adjustable and electricity-powered bed with wires connecting his body to beeping machines, and a front desk not even fifty yards away where phones rang and nurses typed away on computers.

Of all the places that relied on and were swamped with tech, of course it had to be a hospital where he needed to recover. How damn ironic was it that his body needed to heal from the explosion but his mind was crippled by his surroundings?

At least Darrell knew how to avoid that now. The discomfort that came with feeling the presence of technology had become more bearable over time, but there were still a lot of other uncomfortable experiences he'd rather take over completely releasing his net to modern civilization.

But when he was out and about, he liked to play mental games and guess what certain bundles of tech turned out to be. It was a good training exercise, he figured, and helped him learn more about this power. Each device, contraption, and machine tended to have their own particular _feeling_. Street lamps, kitchen appliances, and lights in general were recognizable because their presence usually felt linear and simple. Darrell detected cars based on close proximities of their batteries as well as their engines and how they fueled things like the radio, dashboard, and so on. Of course, fancier and more expensive cars felt a little more complex, especially if they had collision detection software and whatever else was being invented nowadays.

When it came to nearing places like police precincts and Starling General (or anywhere else that buzzed with loads of tech), Darrell was good about reeling in his power, sometimes shutting it off right away. As confident was he was in controlling his mind's connection with technology, he didn't want to risk peace of mind for extreme discomfort.

He continued down the street, now in one of Star's more populated, metro areas with shopping centers, banks, and restaurants. He caught a whiff of the hotdog stand as he passed it and realized just how hungry he was. The diner was just up ahead, its front door propped open to encourage passersby.

"Darrell!"

Recognizing his tall friend's afro bobbing above the crowd ahead, Darrell raised a hand at him. Curtis attempted to weave between people, nearly running straight into a toddler, before reaching him in front of the diner.

Pushing his glasses up his nose, he grinned and said, "Man, I thought I was gonna make it here before you. Are you hungry? 'Cause I'm _starving,_ and I totally forgot to eat this morning since I got caught up with…"

The tech and engineering genius continued to babble as the two of them found an empty table. The crispy smell of french fries made Darrell's stomach grumble, and he immediately grabbed a menu from the side of the table after they slid into a booth. It wasn't until after the waitress had come by for a drink order that Curtis finished his story about almost accidentally hopping a train to Central City.

"What about you? I mean, how's work? Come up with any cool tech lately?"

Darrell shrugged. "Work is alright. Same as usual." He paused, hesitating, then added, "I haven't really had time to mess around with much lately. Not really inspired, I guess."

The lie came smoothly, but it had to be made. There was no way he'd be able to describe his gadgets without Curtis wanting to know everything about them and even asking to see them. Even if he tried lying about what they were for, he'd end up lying to a guy who had fourteen doctorate degrees; he would definitely be suspicious and probably figure out that Darrell was hiding something.

"That's a bummer," Curtis replied, his eyebrows scrunched together.

Darrell attempted to steer the conversation away from himself. "What about you? How's that startup going?"

"Helix Dynamics? Oh, it's great! Yeah, we're still gettin' some things sorted out, but it's going really well so far."

"Is this problem you have related?"

"Ehhh…" He looked nervous as he fidgeted with the corner of his menu. "Kinda, not really. I mean, sort of? It depends on how you look at it."

Darrell said nothing, waiting patiently. Curtis took a deep breath and sat up, leaning forward in secrecy.

In a lowered voice, he explained, "Can I trust you not to share this with anyone else?"

Confusion crossed Darrell's face for a moment, but he nodded. "Yeah, of course."

He was suddenly more aware of their surroundings: the low murmurs of other guests in the diner, the smell of freshly brewed coffee making its way to his nose, city goers passing their window. A laugh made him look up to see the waitress smiling and chatting with one of the cooks where the food was put out to be served.

Curtis also appeared to have been glancing around before he continued in his low voice. His wide eyes were filled with concern; Darrell had rarely seen him this cautious.

"Darrell… How much do you know about chipping people?"

* * *

 **Note:** So, it's been a long time hahahha. I won't even bother trying to explain, but I hope y'all enjoyed! Please note that I made a last minute decision to adhere to exactly what happened on Lian Yu in the finale of Arrow season 5, aka both Malcolm and William's mother died and Thea is in a coma.

Not a dramatic change, but if you began reading this before this chapter was published, you might remember that I'd initially wanted William's mother alive.

Anyway, please leave a review with your thoughts! Until next time xx


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